OK my ring just slipped…. Help

miscjames · October 2012

Did a big cook today (post coming soon), afterwards I decided to do a clean burn as the lump I had in there has been used many times and everything just needed a good cleaning. So I opened up the vents and let it go. It only got up to ~700. I got this nifty little LED grill light on clearance ($4) at Wal-Mart, So I figured I would try it on. It just snaps around the handle and you can move the head around. Well while I was putting it on I pressed down on the handle not hard mind you to snap the light around. And my top ring slid down. I was like how in the heck did that happen. SO I gripped a rag and held the top down and slid it back up. I checked the tightness of the bolts and I cannot tighten them any more (well I could but it would either break or strip out). Now a few more details. I have the spring spacers and stainless steel bolts in the rings. Now I know steel expands when hot but it shouldn’t slide like that should it. I am going to wait till it cools off and check it again. But this makes me real nervous. Suggestions Help… has this happen to anyone else?

Here is a pic for a visual of the spring spacer.

http://cdn.vanillaforums.com/biggreenegg.vanillaforums.com/FileUpload/ab/c9ea2032ae65912dd8a1a47b195f1e.jpg

nolaegghead · October 2012

Did your egg come with those springs (are they factory hardware)? They look totally compressed. IMHO the spring force may contribute a few dozen pounds of tension, but the bolts need to be torqued up to pull the band at a few thousand pounds of tension. So they're basically washers.

I can argue they may be hurting you by expanding, growing in spring diameter and getting thinner in compressed length. Those bolts look a little thin. If you can't tighten them down enough to start deforming the band before they strip, they may need to be larger/stronger.

If they're factory, ignore everything I said and take it up with BGE. Mine didn't come with the springs and I haven't had that problem. I torqued the crap out of them and have never had a problem with loosening.

Not worth breaking the egg. You're not going to break it overtightening the band...the bolt would break first.

miscjames · October 2012

Thanks Nola. No those are not the factory bolts or springs. I didnt like the way the bolts bent when i did my first ring set. I have a tendency to over tighten things. So to get them off I had to cut them. So i got to digging around and found this setup. These are the same size bolts that come with the BGE just SS ones. and I would have to have a breaker bar to tighten them anymore. And i know they will break if i go that route. I am thinking of removing the springs. But you are right they are nothing more then washers at this point.

Griffin · October 2012

miscjames said:

I didnt like the way the bolts bent when i did my first ring set.

The factory bolts are supposed to bend when you tighten them down.

BOWHUNR · October 2012

Griffin said:

miscjames said:

I didnt like the way the bolts bent when i did my first ring set.
The factory bolts are supposed to bend when you tighten them down.

Yep. What Griffin said.

Mike

miscjames · October 2012

Griffin said:

miscjames said:

I didnt like the way the bolts bent when i did my first ring set.
The factory bolts are supposed to bend when you tighten them down.

Ya I know... but cutting them off and replacing them every time is what i was wanting to avoid. Plus a saw that close to the egg could be dangerous :)

miscjames · October 2012

Just an update.

Now that its cool its all tight again were I cannot slide the ring. So it must have something to do with the heat and the expansion of the metal.

fishlessman · October 2012

bolted like that its not near tight enough for hot cooks, especially if its going to be hot for any duration like making several pizzas in a row. not sure why your sawing off the bolts, you tighten them til they bend, ive taken mine apart many time without breaking the bolt and reused it, if it broke get a new one. even after tightening til they bend, a wait a month and tighten them some more

Hashmaker · October 2012

I got my large egg in April and the bolts on mine won't bend. After reading several posts here about this topic, I have gone back and really cranked down on them and they aren't even coming close to bending. I've done quite a few high temp cooks and always watched out for the rings expanding and the top getting loose but have not had an issue so far. I wonder if newer eggs have different bolts or maybe I've just been lucky. For the more experienced eggers....what are your thoughts?

fishlessman · October 2012

Hashmaker said:

I got my large egg in April and the bolts on mine won't bend. After reading several posts here about this topic, I have gone back and really cranked down on them and they aren't even coming close to bending. I've done quite a few high temp cooks and always watched out for the rings expanding and the top getting loose but have not had an issue so far. I wonder if newer eggs have different bolts or maybe I've just been lucky. For the more experienced eggers....what are your thoughts?

depends on what one determines is high temp and for how long the high temp goes, a quick steak sear doesnt usually have any problems as you let the temps down before the bands really soak up heat. i sear 750 to 800 and not to many problems, i used to cook pizzas alot 900 to 1200 dome temps and it would run that high for an hour or two, the bands practically fall off

Hashmaker · October 2012

I've done several pizza cooks at 600-700 degrees that went an hour or so and two clean burns that went 700-800 degrees. I've got the bolts as tight as I can get them and there's maybe a 1/4 inch between the ends of the bands.

@miscjames...sorry for high jacking your original post :)

miscjames · October 2012

@Hashmaker haha dont worry about it.

miscjames · October 2012

@fishlessman thanks for the input... I guess you just got lucky or me unlucky one of the two. On my MBGE i bent the ring trying to take them off before i decided to cut them..

miscjames · October 2012

Thanks all for the input...

I guess it was a fruitless experiment. As I went in to remove the springs and end up snaping the bolts anyway. (and yes i was going in the right direction). I put the factorys on it. I just hope i don't bend the rings on the large like i did my med when i go to take them off.

SMITTYtheSMOKER · October 2012

Quote- "Ya I know... but cutting them off and replacing them every time is what i was wanting to avoid."

Why are you having to take off your band? If you assemble the band initially correct, retighten after a month or so you should not have to revisit this issue.

tgkleman · October 2012

I have noticed the flange on the bands bends considerably as well as the bolts bending. I took the thing apart while replacing the gasket and didn't have a problem reusing the bolts.

Hashmaker · October 2012

This is what mine looks like. Even tried cranking down on them more but they're not budging.

nolaegghead · October 2012

That's how mine looks too.

bettysnephew · October 2012

Another issue that may have contributed to the ring slipping is the fact that stainless expands more when heated than carbon steel. I keep a wrench in my grill box and check the bolts randomly.

mikeb9550 · November 2012

I must be a wimp since I can't lift my large Into position. Had to put it together and back several times for fitting purposes for the outdoor cooking area I am working on. No problems when it's in sections. No problems with the bolts. They bend a little but that's ok. I am sceptical on their torq rating. Seems a little high and most regular torq wrenches are off at this low setting.

Hungry Joe · November 2012

Stainless steel bolts are also softer then the grade 5 bolts that came with both my eggs, the newest one being almost 4 years old now. I am not sure if that is still the case. I would stick with the factory set if I were you.

miscjames · November 2012

@smitty I have to cut the bolts not the bands once you run the nut into the bend of the bolt its locked you got two options then cut the bolt or torque it till it snaps unfortunately with the carriage bolt design you end up bending the bands when that much torque is applied. I remove my bands when i replace the gasket.

miscjames · November 2012

bettysnephew said:

Another issue that may have contributed to the ring slipping is the fact that stainless expands more when heated than carbon steel. I keep a wrench in my grill box and check the bolts randomly.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU !!! This explains it. bettysnephew has solved it for me. I didnt know stainless expands more than Carbon steel.

miscjames · November 2012

Hungry Joe said:

Stainless steel bolts are also softer then the grade 5 bolts that came with both my eggs, the newest one being almost 4 years old now. I am not sure if that is still the case. I would stick with the factory set if I were you.

Thank you as well Joe.

calracefan · November 2012

Stainless will also gall, which is probably why you are having trouble removing them especially after some heat cycles !

Ricklesss · November 2012

I replaced all the bolts on my large and my small eggs, with stainless steel bolts (button head allens) cause I love stainless fasteners... I do it on all my motorcycles too (use never-cease to prevent galling!)

BUT I would NOT swap out the "known to work" band bolts with stainless ones, due to above noted, different metalogical characteristics.

Ricklesssssss

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OK my ring just slipped…. Help

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